News

Kampen/Sylt, Marion Liebmann

26.10.2015

Beach motifsThe land between the seas

Schleswig-Holstein provides an abundance of beach and coast motifs along its North and Baltic Sea coastlines. Endless sandy beaches, high cliffs and green dykes are popular with tourists and as shooting locations.

Most coastal stretches in Schleswig-Holstein are publicly accessible and are under the jurisdiction of the local authorities. Some areas are subject to seasonal or even permanent environmental protection, which must be kept in mind when applying for shooting permits. “During the main tourist season, shooting applications should be submitted at least two weeks in advance. We also recommend an early technical walk-through of the location with a representative of the local authorities to clarify any issues”, says Antje Bremer of the Film Commission of Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel.

Some coastal communities are familiar with film shoots: “We have published a set of guidelines to give to film producers for their initial orientation”, says Constanze Höfinghoff, head of marketing and events at the St. Peter-Ording tourist information office. The North Sea town boasts vast beaches and houses on stilts, making it a very popular shooting location. “Pretty much anything can be made possible here, provided there is close consultation with the producers”, says Constanze Höfinghoff.

St. Peter-Ording even has a space reserved for photo shootings as well as a so-called film dune. During the summer, the communities and tourist agencies must accommodate for the needs of both the tourists and the film industry. Grit Wenzel is the head of tourism at Hohwacht bay on the Baltic coast, where she attended to the ZDF production Das tote Mädchen for four weeks in the summer of 2014. “Everything went smoothly thanks to the early and acute communication between the producers, the community and us as a marketing agency”, says Grit Wenzel. She feels the region’s major merit lies in its untouched nature. “Empty beaches outside the season and single-storey houses are particularly suitable for historical themes.”